Covering topics on religion, philosophy and life, this blog attempts to make biblical truths simple for the average believer. As porridge is soft to aid digestion, so the blog contents are easily understood.
However, there is also meaty stuff for those who aspire to go deeper. The relevance of the Bible in our daily life (areas such as finances, sex, marriage, health and emotional healing) is also dealt with.

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Friday, 11 January 2013

TRANSFORMED BY MERCY

Our lives must show
evidence of change in thought and behavior after we have experienced God’s
love.

Most
of us are familiar with the account of the woman caught in the act of adultery
(John 8:3-11). The crowd gathered around her and wanted to stone her.

But
Jesus said, “He who is without sin
among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

Finally,
when the crowd dispersed, Jesus asked her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours?Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her,“Neither do I condemn you; go andsin no more.”

This short account has deep theological implications. The
recipient of God’s love and mercy ought to show evidence of change in thought
and behavior. In other words, the sinner has to repent.

We tend to emphasise God’s love and mercy towards sinners. The need
for sinners to bear fruits that befit repentance – personal responsibility – is often not emphasised to the same degree.

Let us now consider these two familiar passages from the books of
Ephesians and Philippians:

God’s part: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;itisthe gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Our part: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Our part: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work outyour own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

God’s part: “For it is God
who works in you both to will and to do forHisgood pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

In
Ephesians, we are saved (forgiven and made righteous in God’s sight) by faith.
But what comes next? We have to live a life evidenced by good works.

In
Philippians, God works in us, helping us to obey Him. But we too have to work
out our salvation with fear and trembling.*

Paul says he has to be on his toes – exercise
self-discipline in the spiritual race – lest after preaching to others, he himself
should become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27). There is no complacency on his
part. His attitude towards life is reflective of this principle: “Working out
one’s salvation with fear and trembling”.

What about those who say that we only need to
change our thoughts at the point of repentance? They say that when we repent we
only need to correct our past erroneous thinking.

This argument does not hold water in light of various scriptural references. While it is true that repentance and the believer’s
ongoing spiritual journey involve renewing of the mind (Romans 12:1-2), it does
not stop there (at the level of our mind).

Repentance must involve a change in thought and behaviour
– and goals, aspirations and lifestyle as well:

The adulterous lady has to stop sinning and seek
restoration with her husband. It would be ridiculous for Jesus to tell the
adulterous lady, “Now you have been forgiven; go back to your lover. It’s OK.
God continues to forgive you even if you keep your lover. It’s erroneous to
think otherwise. From now on, start thinking aright. Get your thinking
straightened out.”

The thief should stop stealing and find honest
work (Ephesians 4:28). Those who love to lie and gossip must stop their
negative behaviour. Those who make idols should start looking for alternative
jobs or businesses.

Sometimes, repentance involves a drastic change at
great personal cost:

“Many who became believers confessed their sinful
practices.A number of them who had been practicing
sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire.
The value of the books was several million dollars” (Acts 19:18-19).

Mr. Practical, the apostle James, underscores for
us the fact that genuine faith has to be evidenced by good works:

“Thus also
faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17)

“For
as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also”
(James 2:26).

Finally
we need to be reminded of the words of John the Baptist: “Prove
by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God” (Matthew 3:8).

Do we really need to go any further into lengthy theological
discussion as to what constitutes repentance? I rest my case.

Footnotes:

* A world of difference exists between ‘work for’
and ‘work out’. Author J. Oswald Sanders draws an analogy between salvation and
an estate. We do not have to feverishly work for an estate. We have already
been given an estate. But we have to work it out– develop the estate’s
hidden resources.

The woman caught in adultery

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in
adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caughtin adultery, in the very act.Now Moses, in the law, commandedus that such should be stoned.But what do You say?”This they said, testing Him, that they might havesomethingof which to
accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground withHisfinger, as
though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself upand said to them,“He who is
without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.Then those who heardit,being convicted
bytheir conscience,went out one by one, beginning with the oldesteven to the
last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He
said to her,“Woman, where
are those accusers of yours?Has no one
condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her,“Neither do I condemn you; go andsin no more.”

(John 8:3-11)

Self-discipline
to finish the race

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all
run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtainit. And everyone who competesfor the prizeis temperate in all things. Now theydo itto obtain a perishable crown, but wefor an imperishablecrown.Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus
I fight: not asone whobeats the air.But I discipline my body and bringitinto subjection, lest, when I have preached to
others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

RELATED POSTS

IS REPENTANCE MERELY CHANGING ONE’S MIND?

Some say that believers only need to change
their mind (ie. correct their past erroneous thinking) when they repent. Is
this true?http://bit.ly/15qK4KI

REPETITIVE SINNINGWhat fate awaits those who sin repeatedly after
they have believed?http://bit.ly/1bz3TUf